Leighton Baines

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Too afraid to run at people now, sometimes there's space to attack or a one v one and he just turns back and passes it to Mori.

So frustrating considering he used to be boss. Time for a new left back i think
 
Baines was borderline useless against spurs. Almost all of our attacking impetus came down the right flank.

Other than that we just sat back and invited the press.

As the game evolved it was screaming for lookman or mirallas to open things up I feel like.
 
marsh said:
Too afraid to run at people now, sometimes there's space to attack or a one v one and he just turns back and passes it to Mori.

So frustrating considering he used to be boss. Time for a new left back i think
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He's always been like that, though, especially when Pienaar was here

That Oviedo goal at Old Trafford, I always look at that and think Baines would've looked for the cross rather than had a pop
 
davek said:
That's fantasy island stuff, imo. He had a fair number of assists and free kick goals at one period (which anyone would give him credit for) but in no way, shape or form was that lad ever a world class defender. It's beyond my comprehension how anyone could consider a player who cant tackle, close down a winger or head a ball is ever considered a defender, much less a world class one.
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His attacking play was always his strong but when he was in the top 3 left backs in the world it was due to his all round game. Ok I agree sometimes he used to allow crossed to be put in but they were quite often crossed from innocuous positions where we were still in control defensively. State don't lie when Baines was in his pomp we always had one of top 4-6 defended in the league. You don't get that with a LB who can't defend. Baines was almost an ever present over this 3-5 year period.

As I said earlier in the thread I would still be happy to start him but maybe summer is the time to get his replacement in so we can have a phased cross over. Baines then won't be left exposed if his form drops off the cliff whilst new player can have time to settle and win fans over before completely replacing a player held in the highest regard!
 
He is the one I worry most about when it comes to mentality in big games.

Let alone him being one of our slowest players. Needs replacing massively in the summer.

He always seems to get a lacing against Walker.
 

loooweee said:
I agree with most of what you said but I think pienaar was brilliant, that krasondar home game he made garbutt look distinctively baines like. The same with oviedo at times with moyes last and fraudos first season. Pienaar made left backs look brilliant but I agree with what your saying
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Wasn't trying to put Pienaar down mate. He was absolutely brilliant. Just pointing out Daves drivel!
 
messymascot said:
His attacking play was always his strong but when he was in the top 3 left backs in the world it was due to his all round game. Ok I agree sometimes he used to allow crossed to be put in but they were quite often crossed from innocuous positions where we were still in control defensively. State don't lie when Baines was in his pomp we always had one of top 4-6 defended in the league. You don't get that with a LB who can't defend. Baines was almost an ever present over this 3-5 year period.

As I said earlier in the thread I would still be happy to start him but maybe summer is the time to get his replacement in so we can have a phased cross over. Baines then won't be left exposed if his form drops off the cliff whilst new player can have time to settle and win fans over before completely replacing a player held in the highest regard!
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I dont know about staged crossovers, he'd be lucky to be on the bench of any of the clubs above us. We need this to be his swansong season and get Bertrand or some other decent LB in.

Baines as part of a top defence a few years back at Everton? That was a defence that ALWAYS suffered from not being able to deal with crosses. It was its Achilles heel and that was because, apart from Hibbert who WOULD close down, we have had a string of FBs on both sides who stand like one of Lewis's statues 5/10 yard away from opposition wingers as they swung in crosses. Only Distin stopped it from being a bloodbath. We've had three managers in Moyes, Martinez and now Koeman who all tolerate it, it would seem.
 

davek said:
I dont know about staged crossovers, he'd be lucky to be on the bench of any of the clubs above us. We need this to be his swansong season and get Bertrand or some other decent LB in.

Baines as part of a top defence a few years back at Everton? That was a defence that ALWAYS suffered from not being able to deal with crosses. It was its Achilles heel and that was because, apart from Hibbert who WOULD close down, we have had a string of FBs on both sides who stand like one of Lewis's statues 5/10 yard away from opposition wingers as they swung in crosses. Only Distin stopped it from being a bloodbath. We've had three managers in Moyes, Martinez and now Koeman who all tolerate it, it would seem.
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Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know?
 
mkrudden said:
Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know?
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No. It tells me that he's some sort of sacred cow and they wont challenge him to do his defending job or drop him.

Koeman wants to pack in having a go at Barkley and start pointing fingers at senior players like Baines and Coleman who cant do the basics of their job...but at least Coleman can still get forward and do one part of it still.
 

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